


princess camellia

by feralphoenix



Category: Ib (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Gen, Homophobic Slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-23
Updated: 2012-07-23
Packaged: 2017-11-10 12:59:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/466563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feralphoenix/pseuds/feralphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsubaki (椿, <i>camellia japonica</i>): unpretending excellence.</p>
<p>"Even if I'm trod upon, I don't want to be forgotten."</p>
            </blockquote>





	princess camellia

**Author's Note:**

> _(full dark, no stars_ – I got a nonstop hole in my head)

“How come you talk like that?”

There’s no malice in the question—just plain curiosity, goodwill like only a nine-year-old does it. Ib stands with her head tilted like a pigeon, a sparrow, and a few hours’ constant side-by-side is enough for him to read her minute changes in expression. She merely wants to know—finds it odd, perhaps, but not bad. It’s her upbringing, maybe; sheltered little rich girls of her age take much longer to learn to bully—

_(what kind of a freak hobby is this, if you’re a girl then go get yourself an operation and get cured, because no child of mine no child of mine no child of mine)_

_(he remembers the thick iron taste of blood, imprint of a hard heel against his stomach, loud calls of pansy pussy little girl ringing in the air and no one’s going to come, when you stand out it’s your own fault no matter what happens to you)_

_(the thing about fear is that it saves your life: that’s what it’s meant to do, and he’s sensitive to the sound of footfalls because of it, sensitive to a skulking presence and the intent to kill the intent to harm hands that want to hurt because they don’t even know anything better than to strike out at individuality strike you down make you all the same as the next person the next person and the next)_

_(the thing about fear is that people are conditioned to ignore that instinct as young children: and so to utilize it as it is meant takes unlearning—as he has learned to scream and to run, run hard, because when you don’t want to hide what you are you have to learn to be on your guard, to draw attention when someone is out to hurt you, have a voice that will carry and carry until no one can bear to ignore you)_

_(the thing is that when you present yourself like this there’s only so far that being tall and having narrow eyes is going to get you, and he’s learned that and learned that and learned that)_

“Garry?”

Red eyes are staring up at him. They are blank like a doll’s, and the pull of Ib’s eyebrows that is just so bespeaks her concern. She may be young, but she’s pretty sensitive about small details.

He smiles a little.

“Why was it, I wonder? Oh, honey, I just wound up talking like this before I knew it.”

If they make it out of this place—when she’s older, he’ll explain it to her properly.


End file.
